The Elizabethan navy has a secret weapon: an optical instrument so powerful it gives England unassailable superiority at sea. Spain will stop at nothing to steal it and seize the men who understand its secrets - William Ivory and the magician Dr Dee. Intelligencer John Shakespeare is sent to escort Dr Dee to safety. But he finds Dee's host, the Earl of Derby, dying in agony. Who wants him dead and
why? While Shakespeare attempts to untangle a plot that points to treachery at the very highest reaches of government, he also faces serious accusations far closer to home ...

This is a first-class mystery steeped in authentic 16th century intrigue' - Good Book Guide